Vehicle side rear view mirror

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses an adjustable side rear view mirror assembly for attachment to a vehicle. The mirror assembly includes an L-shaped mounting arm member, a housing member with at least one mirror thereon, and a mounting mechanism for attaching the mirror assembly to a vehicle. The mirror has at least one reflective mirror member which is laminated to a surface on the mirror housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/908,325, filed on May 6, 2005.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to side-view mirror assembliesfor vehicles and more particularly to adjustable mirror assemblies withimproved adjustment mechanisms and laminated mirror glass members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Side view mirrors for vehicles, such as automobiles and trucks, are wellknown. The mirror lenses, mirror housings, and mirror assemblies come invarious sizes and shapes. The assemblies typically are adjustable, suchas having movable housings and/or movable mirror lenses within housingsfor better viewing by the vehicle operator, and often are movable towardthe vehicle, such as for protection in automatic car washers.

For large vehicles, the mirror housings are often positioned at aconsiderable distance from the side of the vehicle for better viewing,and the mirror lenses typically are significantly large in size for anincreased field of view. The increased size can cause additionaldifficulties with tight places.

The mirror lenses themselves (e.g. panes of mirrored glass) aretypically part of the structure of the housing or susceptible to beingbroken or shattered rendering them unfit for their original purpose. Theadjustment mechanisms for these mirror assemblies also often are notconvenient or easy to use and often become too worn or “stripped” suchthat that the ability to hold the assemblies tightly in position or toprovide a steady image are compromised.

Also, typically different mirror assemblies and housings are providedfor the left and right sides of vehicles, thus necessitating orderingand stocking two different mirror assemblies.

These problems are more acute if the vehicle is being used for a policeor military purpose where it is necessary to have a usable andadjustable mirror assembly which is functional at all times. Also, it isa disadvantage if the mirror lenses are susceptible to being shatteredeasily and becoming unusable for their intended purpose, or where thebroken pieces can become loose becoming a safety hazard for the vehicleoperator and/or occupants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mirrorassembly which overcomes one or more of the disadvantages mentionedabove for use on vehicles. It is also an object of the present inventionto provide an improved mirror assembly which has particular use forpolice or military vehicles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mirrorassembly which has an improved mechanism for mounting the mirrorassembly on a vehicle and for allowing it to be adjusted.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide amirror assembly with a mirror lens (e.g. a pane of mirrored glass) whichis less susceptible to breaking or shattering, and thus which willmaintain its use or function for a longer period of time.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a mirrorassembly which can be easily adapted for use as a rearview mirror oneither the left or right sides of a vehicle.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of known side mountedrear view mirror assemblies for automobiles and other vehicles andprovides an improved mirror assembly which meets most or all of theabove objectives. The mirror assembly in accordance with the presentinvention has an improved mechanism for mounting the mirror assembly ona vehicle, has an improved mechanism for allowing adjustment of themirror housing relative to the vehicle, has an improved mechanism formounting and retaining the mirror lens on the mirror housing, has animproved structure for the mirror housing itself, and has a modularstructure which allows usage on either side of a vehicle with minoradjustments.

The mirror housing has a sealed “clam-shell” assembly with at least oneflat outer surface for mounting of a mirror lens. The mirror lenses,which can be of any conventional type, such as a pane of mirrored glass,is glued or laminated onto the flat surface. In one preferredembodiment, two lenses are provided on two flat surfaces on the housing.

In one embodiment, the housing is attached to a C-shaped mounting frameby bracket members. The bracket members can be mounted on the mountingframe in different orientations in order to allow the housing andmounting frame to be attached to either the left or right sides of avehicle. The brackets also allow the mirror housing to be adjustedrelative to the frame at the discretion of the operator. Fastenermembers are used to securely hold the bracket members on the mountingframe as desired.

An adjustment mechanism is attached to one or both ends of the mountingframe in order to allow the frame to be movable or adjusted relative tothe vehicle. If only one adjustment mechanism is utilized, the other endof the mounting frame preferably has a pivoting or hinge-type mechanism.

The adjustment mechanism preferably is a rotary lock mechanism. Therotary lock mechanism has a pair of disc members which are held togetherby a fastener member and are rotatable relative to one another. Aplurality of biased ball-type members positioned in cavities allowselective rotation of the disc members relative to each other and alsosecure the disc members at various positions when desired.

One or both of the disc members also preferably has a recessed channelor groove for positioning of mounting bracket members in order to securethe mounting frame to the vehicle. The channel or groove preventsrotation of the mounting bracket members relative to the disc members.

In another embodiment, a single bent mounting arm is utilized to mountthe mirror to the vehicle. The mounting arm is attached to the vehiclewith a mechanism which allows ready adjustment of the mirror but stillprovides a tight and secure method of attachment.

Further details, objects, benefits, and advantages of the presentinvention are set forth below and/or shown in the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described by way of example with referenceto the following drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the front of a mirror assemblyembodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the back of a mirror assemblyembodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an expanded perspective view of an embodiment of arotary lock mechanism for use with the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate top and side views, respectively, of therotary lock mechanism of FIG. 3 with portions shown in hidden lines.

FIG. 5 illustrates a partially cut-away side view of the rotary lockmechanism of FIG. 3 in a locked or secured position.

FIG. 6 illustrates a partially cut-away side view of the rotary lockmechanism of FIG. 3 in an unlocked or rotational position.

FIG. 7 illustrates and exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a“clam-shell” type mirror housing for use with the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the assembled mirrorhousing depicted in FIG. 7, together with mirrored lens members.

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, with FIG. 9illustrating the new mirror assembly mounted on a vehicle, FIG. 10 beingan exploded view of the mirror assembly, FIG. 11 being a cross-sectionof the assembled mirror assembly, and FIG. 12 illustrating a baseportion of the mounting mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of a rear side view mirror assembly of the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 1 and referred to generally by the referencenumeral 20. The mirror assembly 20 is for use on a vehicle, such as anautomobile or truck, and is preferably mounted on the side of thevehicle.

Preferably, one mirror assembly 20 is mounted on either side of thevehicle and mounted at a location to be easily viewed by the driver ofthe vehicle. One preferred use of the present invention is for mountingon military vehicles, such as the HMMWV (a/k/a Humvee”).

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the mirror assembly 20 includes a housing22, at least one reflective mirror lens member 24 attached to thehousing 22, and a support bracket 26 for supporting the housing 22 onthe vehicle. The support bracket 26 is attached to the vehicle at oneend by a bracket member 28 and at the other end by a rotary lockmechanism 30 together with bracket member 29.

The housing 22 is attached to the generally “C-shaped” support bracket26 by a pair of connection bracket mechanisms 32. The bracket mechanisms32 are adapted to fit on the support bracket such that the orientationof the housing 22 can be reversed for the left and right sides of thevehicle. The connection bracket mechanisms 32 each have a clamping ring33, a slotted bracket member 35, and a pair of fastener members 37 and39. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of connector bracket mechanisms 32 arepreferably provided, one on the top of the mirror assembly 20 and one onthe bottom of the mirror assembly.

The attachment bracket 28 is generally “L-shaped” and is connected tothe support bracket 26 by pivot member 34 which, as shown, can be aconventional nut and bolt fastener mechanism. The pivot member 34 allowsthe support bracket 26 to rotate relative to the attachment bracket in amanner and for a purpose explained below. Preferably, a nut and boltfastener or similar fastener mechanism holds the attachment bracket andsupport bracket relatively tightly together (to prevent undesirablevibrations or movement of the mirror assembly), but still allows themirror assembly to pivot or rotate when desired.

The rotary lock mechanism 30 rotates between a series of predetermined“locked” positions, allowing the support bracket 26 with the housing 22and reflective mirror member 24 to rotate through a series of “locked”positions. During normal driving conditions, the support bracket 26 willbe situated generally 90° with respect to the side of the vehicle,although the support brackets can be adjusted to various positionsaccording to the driver's needs or desires. The rotary lock mechanism 30also allows the support bracket 26 as well as the reflective mirrormember 24 and housing 22 to be moved into a position against or adjacentthe side of the vehicle for storage or to allow movement of the vehiclethrough tight spaces.

It should be noted that multiple reflective mirror members 24 and 25could be attached to the housing 22. For example, reflective mirrormembers 24 and 25 are illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8, although theinvention is not limited to the use of two reflective mirror members.

Also, when two reflective mirror members are provided, one of the mirrormembers 24 can be a flat mirror providing a standard reflective field ofview, while the other mirror member 25 can be a curved (convex) mirrorproviding an expanded or wider field of view.

Each of the reflective mirror members 24 and 25 preferably comprises asingle panel of safety glass that is glued or otherwise securely affixedto the surface of the housing. In this regard, the glue, adhesive tapeor other material which is used to affix the mirror members to thehousing, is provided across the entire rear surface of the reflectivemirror members creating a “laminated” assembly. With such mirror membersand with such mirror members laminated to the mirror housing, individualpieces of the reflective mirror members will be retained in place andmaintain their usefulness as reflective surfaces even if they are brokenor shattered in some manner. Also, with the glue or adhesive materialbeing provided across the entire rear surface of the pane of mirroredglass, each of the individual pieces from a broken or shattered mirrorwill be retained on the mirror housing and will not be easily dislodgedwhere they could injure the vehicle operator or occupants.

Each of the reflective mirror members utilized with the housing 22preferably is laminated to one of the surfaces of the mirror housing inthe same manner.

Referring to FIG. 3, the rotary lock mechanism 30 includes a first discmember 38, a second disc member 40, a bushing or sleeve member 42 thathelps hold the two disc members together, and a plurality of springmembers 44 and ball members 46 that interact with the disc members toallow them to rotate relative to one another and yet be “locked” orsecured in various positions.

Although the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 utilizes arotary lock mechanism 30 only at one end of the generally C-shaped framemember 26, it is also possible in accordance with the present inventionto provide a rotary lock mechanism at both ends of the frame member 26.

The first disc member 38 has a generally cylindrical shape with an outerwall 48, an exterior end 50 and an interior end 52. The interior end 52has a recessed surface 56 with an outer ridge member or wall 58. Therecess formed on the interior end 52 of disc member 38 is used toreceive the interior end 76 of disc member 40.

The first disc member 38 also includes a central aperture 60 extendingthrough the disc member. Further, a first recess or groove 62 isprovided in the exterior end 50 of the first disc member 38 for receiptof the attachment bracket 29 for attachment to the vehicle. The shape ofthe first recess 62 holds the attachment bracket 29 in place withrespect to the disc member 38 so that they cannot rotate relative to oneanother.

The interior surface 56 of the disc member 38 includes a plurality ofindentations or small pockets 70 spaced in a circular pattern around thecentral aperture 60. The indentations 70 have a generally circular shapealthough they could also have other shapes as desired.

The second disc member 40 also has a curved outer wall member 72, anexterior end 78 and an interior end 76. The interior end 76 contains araised surface 80 that fits within the recess 56 formed in the firstdisc member 38. The raised surface 80 defines a protrusion 82 that isreceived within the recess thereby forming the rotary lock housing whenthe two disc members 38 and 40 are assembled together.

The second disc member 40 also includes a central aperture 84 extendingfrom one side to the other and in axial alignment with the aperture 60on the first disc member. The exterior surface 78 also includes a secondrecess 86 for receipt of a support bracket. Similar to recess 62, therecess 86 prevents the support bracket from rotating relative to thedisc member 40. The interior surface 80 of the second disc member 40includes multiple cavities or blind-holes 94 spaced in an annularconfiguration around the central aperture 84. In this regard, thecavities 94 in the second disc member and the indentations 70 in thefirst disc member are in axial alignment. Preferably, the same number ofcavities 94 and indentations 70 are provided.

A plurality of spring members 44 are provided, one in each of thecavities 94 in the second disc member 40. In addition, a correspondingnumber of ball members 46 are provided and positioned between the twodisc members 38, 40. The spring members which preferably are small coilspring members bias the ball members into engagement with theindentations 70 in the first disc member. The cavities 94 have adiameter that is larger than the diameter of the ball members 46 suchthat the ball members can fit full or partially within the cavities (seeFIG. 6) when one disc member is rotated relative to the other discmember.

A sleeve member 42 is positioned in the aligned apertures 60 and 84. Thesleeve member 42 preferably has flanges or collars 98, 100 at one orboth ends although the same function could be provided by washers. Theflanges or washers can be positioned in recesses 104 and 106. A nut andbolt fastener member 51 or other conventional fastener is used to holdthe first and second disc members together. The fastener member 51 ispositioned in the hollow center 53 of the sleeve member 42.

Preferably, the first and second disc members 38, 40 are made from aplastic material, although they could also be made of another materialwhich is sufficiently durable to be used for the intended purpose of therotary lock mechanism 30. The sleeve member 42 is preferably a metalmaterial, such as brass or the like. The spring members 44 and ballmembers 46 are preferably made of a metal material, and the ball memberscould be ball bearings or the like.

The sleeve member 42 holds the two disc members 38 and 40 together andalso allows them to rotate relative to one another around a central axis96.

One spring member 44 is positioned in each cavity 94 in the second discmember 40. One ball member 46 is then positioned in each cavity restingon a spring member.

The rotary lock mechanism 30 moves between a series of “locked”positions, as illustrated in FIG. 5. While moving between the lockedpositions, the assembly 30 moves to intermediate or unlocked positions,as illustrated in FIG. 6. To facilitate moving from one of the lockedpositions to another locked position, the two disc members are rotatedrelative to one another. In this regard, in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the first disc member 38 would be held stationary whilethe second disc member 40 would be rotated relative thereto. The firstdisc member 38 is held stationary because it is attached to theattachment bracket 29 that in turn is connected to a vehicle.

During travel from a first locked position to a second locked position,the two disc members 38, 40 rotate relative to one another forcing eachof the ball members 46 out of its position in an indentation 70 and to aposition where it is fully positioned within a cavity 94. In thisposition, as shown in FIG. 6, the spring members 44 are compressed. Inthis regard, it should be noted that the disc members 38 and 40 canrotate either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. During theintermediate position, each of the ball members 46 remains within itsassociated cavity 94 until the next indentation 70 becomes aligned withthe cavity. When the next indentation 70 aligns with a respective cavity94, the spring members 94 expand forcing the associate ball members intothe indentation 70, thereby “locking” the rotary lock mechanism orassembly 30 into another locked position. This process can continueuntil the mirror assembly 20 has reached a desired location relative tothe vehicle as desired by the operator or occupants.

As indicated, in an alternative embodiment, there can be two rotary lockassemblies provided, one at each end of the C-shape support bracketmember 26. Also, the orientation of the rotary lock assembly isirrelevant. In other words, the first disc member can be mounted to themirror assembly support bracket and the second disc member can bemounted to an attachment bracket without changing the purpose orfunction of the retractable mirror assembly.

With the rotary lock mechanism and either a pair of rotary lockmechanisms or one rotary lock mechanism and an associated hingemechanism 34, the present invention allows the entire mirror assembly 20to be rotated to a position flush with or immediately adjacent to theside of the vehicle. This prevents the mirror assembly from beingdamaged if the vehicle is proceeding through confined spaces.

With the present invention, a rear side view mirror is provided for anautomobile or other vehicle which is adjustable in many ways, as well ashaving a structure and configuration which allows use on either side ofthe vehicle. As for adjustability, the mirror housing 22 can be adjustedin orientation relative to the C-support frame member 26 by looseningthe fastener members 37 and 39 and the bracket members 32. In addition,the entire C-shaped support member 26 can be rotated or adjustedrelative to the side of the vehicle due to the rotary lock mechanism 30and the hinge mechanism 34.

It is possible to provide any number of sets of indentations, cavities,ball members and spring members as desired. The greater the number ofsets are provided, the more positions which the rotary lock mechanismcan be “locked” or secured.

The mirror housing 22 also preferably has an interlocking “clam-shell”construction. This is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The mirror housing 22includes a rear member 114 and one or two front members 116 and 118. Allof the members 114, 116, 118 are preferably made of a plastic material,although other conventional materials could be utilized. The housingmembers 114, 116 and 118 are formed with interlocking pin and socketmembers 120 and 122. The “clam-shell” construction allows easymanufacture and assembly of the mirror housing 22 and provides astructure which is durable and which has sufficient strength andrigidity for its intended use.

The front mirror housings 116 and 118 have flat surfaces 124 and 126,respectively, that are used to position and retain panes of mirroredglass members 24 and 25 respectively.

The two surfaces 124 and 126 allow the respective mirror members to bepositioned in independent angles relative to each other to providemaximum visibility, as well as allow different types of lenses (e.g.flat and convex) to be utilized for different fields of view.

The reflective mirror members 24 and 25 are preferably panes of mirroredglass. They also are glued or otherwise securely affixed by tape, glue,or other methods across the entire rear surfaces thereof. This willprevent individual pieces of the reflective mirror members 24 and 25from being dislodged or becoming projectiles in the event that themirrored glass members are broken or shattered. The securing of themirrored glass members across the entire flat surfaces of the housingprovides a “laminated” structure or assembly.

Also, by gluing or otherwise securing the individual panes of mirroredglass onto surfaces of the housing, the mirror members are not part ofthe structural integrity of the housing 22 as is common in many mirrorassemblies or housings. This provides added security for the mirroredglass members and prevents them from being broken or shattered aseasily.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 9-12 andreferred to by the reference numeral 150. This embodiment has particularuse on Humvee vehicles used by the U.S. Army.

As shown in FIG. 9, the mirror assembly 150 includes a housing 152, apair of mirror lenses 154 and 156 affixed to the housing, and a singlemounting arm member 160. The mirror assembly is mounted on a hood orfender member 161 of a vehicle 162 with a mounting mechanism 164. Aplate member 166 is used to help mount the mirror assembly on theoutside of the hood or fender member 161 of the vehicle 162. A basemember 170 is secured under the hood or fender member (FIGS. 10-12).

The housing 152 and mirror lenses 154 and 156 are substantially the sameas housing 22 and mirror members 24 and 25, as described above withrespect to FIGS. 1 and 7-8. The housing has a two-piece clam-shelldesign and the mirror members preferably comprise safety glass panesthat are glued or otherwise securely affixed to the housing. The way thehousing is attached to the vehicle is different, however. Rather thanhaving a “C-shaped” attachment bracket and rotary locking mechanism, thehousing is attached to the vehicle with a single L-shaped mounting arm160.

The mounting arm is a tubular member and has one end 160A insertedthrough an opening 165 in the side 151 of the housing 152. The end 160Ais secured in the housing by a conventional mounting mechanism whichsecurely holds the arm in position, but still allows movement andadjustment of the mirror housing in the direction of the arrow 180.Thus, the housing (and mirror member) can be adjusted manually by thedriver of the vehicle in that manner.

The opposite end 160B of the mounting arm 160 is affixed to the vehicleby a mounting mechanism 164. As better shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, themounting mechanism includes a cap member 165, a locking cone member 168,a hollow cylinder tubular member 172, and a base member 170. Platemember 166 is provided to add support for the mounting mechanism on thevehicle hood or fender 161.

The tubular member 172 can be provided as part of the base member 170and protrudes from the underside of the hood or fender through anopening 174, A plurality of fastener members 176, such as bolts withwashers and nuts, are used to secure the plate and base member to thevehicle, and at the same time secure the mirror assembly to the vehicle.

The outside surface of the cylindrical tubular member 172 is threaded inorder to mate with the cap member 165. The cap member has threads on itsinside which allow it to be screwed down tightly on the tubular member172. When the end 160B of the mounting arm member is inserted into thetightening cone member 168 and the cone member is inserted in thetubular member 172 and the cap is screwed onto the tubular member, thecone member is squeezed securely holding the arm member 160 in place.This mounting mechanism securely holds the mirror assembly onto thevehicle and also allows manual adjustment of the mirror housing (andmirror members) in the direction of the arrow 182, as shown in FIG. 9.Thus, the mirror assembly can be adjusted in every direction in order toprovide the vehicle driver with the best rearward view.

The mirror assembly with its clamshell housing and glued-in-placemirrors has substantially the same benefits and advantages of the mirrorassemblies described above and shown in FIGS. 1-8.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will occur tothose skilled in the arm. Accordingly, it is intended that the inventionbe limited only in terms the appended claims.

1. An adjustable mirror assembly for mounting on a vehicle comprising: asupport arm member having a first end and a second end; a housingattached to said first end of said supporting arm member; said housingrotatably adjustable relative to said supporting arm member; at leastone reflective mirror member secured to said housing; and a mountingmechanism for securing said second end of said supporting arm member toa vehicle; said mounting mechanism comprising a supporting plate member,a base member, a locking cone member, and a cap member; said mountingmechanism selectively allowing rotatable adjustment of said supportingarm member and tightly securing said supporting arm member to preventrotation.
 2. The adjustable mirror assembly as described in claim 1wherein said base member comprises a threaded tubular member and saidcap member has mating threads thereon.
 3. The adjustable mirror assemblyas described in claim 1 wherein said housing is adjustably attached tosaid supporting arm member.
 4. The adjustable mirror assembly asdescribed in claim 1 wherein said supporting arm member is adjustablyattached to said mounting mechanism.
 5. The adjustable mirror assemblyas described in claim 1 wherein said supporting arm member comprises asubstantially L-shaped member.
 6. An adjustable mirror assembly formounting on a vehicle comprising: a supporting arm member having a firstend and a second end; a housing attached to said support in arm member;at least one reflective mirror member secured to said housing; at leastone locking mechanism attached to said supporting arm member forconnecting said mirror assembly to a vehicle.
 7. The adjustable mirrorassembly as described in claim 6 wherein a locking cone member isattached to said second end of said supporting arm member.
 8. Theadjustable mirror assembly as described in claim 6 wherein a firstlocking mechanism is attached to said second end of said supporting armmember and a second locking mechanism is attached to said second end ofsaid support member.
 9. A mirror assembly for a vehicle, said assemblycomprising: a support member; a housing attached to said support member;at least one reflective mirror member secured to said housing across theentire rear surfaces thereof; said housing comprising a first housingmember and a second housing member sealingly connected together forminga box-type structure.
 10. The mirror assembly as described in claim 9wherein said first housing member has a first flat surface and saidreflective mirror member is positioned on said first flat surface. 11.The mirror assembly as described in claim 10 wherein said first housinghas two flat surfaces, and two reflective mirror members are provided,one positioned on each of said two flat surfaces.
 12. The mirrorassembly as described in claim 11 wherein one of said reflective mirrormembers is a planar mirror member and one is a convex mirror member. 13.A mirror assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising: an L-shapedsupporting arm member having two ends; a housing attached to one of theends of said supporting arm member; at least one reflective mirrormember secured to said housing; said housing comprising a first housingmember and a second housing member sealingly connected together forminga box-type structure; said first housing member having a first flatsurface thereon and said reflective mirror member is laminated to saidfirst flat surface; and a mounting mechanism on said other end of saidsupporting arm member.
 14. The minor assembly as described in claim 13wherein said first housing has two flat surfaces, and two reflectivemirror members are provided, one positioned on each of said two flatsurfaces.
 15. The mirror assembly as described in claim 14 wherein oneof said reflective mirror members is a planar mirror member and one is aconvex mirror member.
 16. The mirror assembly as described in claim 13wherein said reflective mirror member is a flat mirrored glass panemember.